New
New
Year 6

Making connections to 'Blackberry Blue'

I can draw comparisons between 'Blackberry Blue' and other texts.

New
New
Year 6

Making connections to 'Blackberry Blue'

I can draw comparisons between 'Blackberry Blue' and other texts.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When drawing comparisons to other texts, readers can look for connections in themes, events or characters.
  2. ‘Blackberry Blue’ shares lots of similarities with fairy and folk tales, especially ‘Cinderella’.
  3. A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
  4. Some themes are more complex, they can impart important morals or lessons, regardless of when the text was written.

Keywords

  • Connection - how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

  • Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

  • Convey - to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

  • Justice - fairness in the treatment of others, often involving punishment or reward based on their actions

Common misconception

Pupils may find it challenging to agree on the placement of the statements in Task A.

Consider printing the statements and the Venn diagram, to allow pupils to move them as they discuss and work in small groups or pairs.

You may wish to use this lesson as a springboard to encourage pupils to discover fairy tales from other cultures and backgrounds (e.g. Mossycoat, Chinese Cinderella). If possible, have a number of these in the class book area.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2014 Tamarind edition of ‘Blackberry Blue and other fairy tales’, written by Jamila Gavin with illustrations by Richard Collingridge, for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the publisher of the text 'Blackberry Blue'?
Correct Answer: Tamarind, Tamarind Books, tamarind, tamarind books
Q2.
Which character magically creates the dress that Blackberry Blue wears to the ball?
the Queen
Prince Wolf
Correct answer: her mother
Prince Just
Q3.
Who has been poisoning Prince Just?
Correct answer: the Queen
Prince Wolf
The woodcutter
Blackberry Blue
Q4.
True or false? The King saves the day.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q5.
Match the words to their definitions.
Correct Answer:curative,having the ability to heal or restore health

having the ability to heal or restore health

Correct Answer:ailing,experiencing illness or poor health

experiencing illness or poor health

Correct Answer:seething,to be filled with intense emotion, usually anger or resentment

to be filled with intense emotion, usually anger or resentment

Q6.
Which of the following is an appropriate definition of a theme?
a feeling or mood
making a guess using what we already know
Correct answer: a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:connection,how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

Correct Answer:theme,a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

Correct Answer:convey,to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

Q2.
Which is the most appropriate definition of the word justice?
a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience
the point in the narrative where the suspense reaches its highest point
Correct answer: fairness in the treatment of others, often based on a character's actions
Q3.
How is Blackberry Blue's mother returned to her?
Correct answer: The spell the Queen cast on her was broken.
She escaped from a castle.
She wished upon a falling star.
Q4.
Which of the following are features that can be found in both 'Blackberry Blue' and 'Cinderella'?
The protagonist is saved by the Prince.
The protagonist leaves a trail of petals as dawn breaks.
Correct answer: The protagonist is married in the resolution of the story.
Correct answer: The protagonist is helped by magic.
The protagonist leaves a glass slipper at midnight.
Q5.
How does Prince Just recognise Blackberry Blue’s real identity?
He remembers that she kissed him.
He remembers that she danced with him.
Correct answer: He remembers that she cured him from the poison.
Correct answer: He remembers that she saved him from the wolf
Q6.
Place the events that happen within the final pages of 'Blackberry Blue' in chronological order.
1 - The guards take away Prince Wolf.
2 - Prince Just recognises Blackberry Blue for who she really is.
3 - Blackberry Blue's mother returns to her.
4 - Blackberry Blue and Prince Just are married.
5 - Blackberry Blue takes her daughter to the same brambly patch she was born in.